


Flicker of Light

by EvalynXIV



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dark Knight Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Depression, F/F, Female Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, Just want to get these up before I chicken out., Miqo'te Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), That last tag feels obvious but you know, i'll tag later, more tags to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:02:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24694210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvalynXIV/pseuds/EvalynXIV
Summary: The battle of Holminster Switch has gone in the favor of the Crystarium and Scions. A two fold victory in fact, because the Scions now know that the Warrior of Light is able to absorb the corrupting Light that Wardens expel upon their defeat. However, one of them continues to grieve, and requires a more personal touch.
Relationships: Alisaie Leveilleur/Warrior of Light
Comments: 3
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, I wrote this a while back and am only just now posting it here because putting my writing out there is spooky scary, even if its just a short piece. I hope you enjoy.

The night had finally returned to the Lakeland area. Darkness covered the region as a comforting blanket for the first time in a century. Everyone at the Crystarium was overjoyed and the city was alight in celebration. However, there was one among the many that had not found happiness in this great achievement. 

Alisaie sat at the edge of the catwalk which overlooked the entrance through the walls which protected the city proper. Her thoughts were lost in the battle they had finished only a few hours ago, one foe in particular haunting her. She couldn’t help but wince as the vision of her friend Tesleen being transformed into one of those abominations came to the forefront of her mind.

She was so distracted by her sorrow and tears that she didn’t hear the Warrior of Darkness walk up behind her. 

“Are you ok…” She asked, still standing a few paces back. Anastasia was worried for her, but respected that she may want space to mourn on her own. The Warrior hadn’t known the young woman long, but she could tell that Tesleen and Alisaie had been close.

When the younger woman’s shoulders tensed, and she remained quiet for several moments, Anastasia had accepted that as a refusal of company. Understandable, since Alisaie had hardly been someone to express her feelings during moments of weakness. Without another word Ana turned and began her return to the other Scions.

“I’m not.” 

The words were quiet, barely above a choked whisper, but when the Warrior glanced back she briefly caught a glimpse the tear covered cheeks of the young woman. It was more than enough to confirm what she had heard. Without another word, she walked over to her side, and sat with her legs over the edge, just as her companion.

For a long moment there was silence between them, the distant cheers and cries of excitement and joy echoing from afar. Anastasia couldn’t help but place part of the blame for Alisaie’s heartbreak on herself. Even with all the good she had done in the past, it always felt like she was one step too slow when it mattered…

Louisoix, Haurchefant, Papalymo, and so many others. How many more would be lost because of her shortcomings? 

“How do you deal with it..?” Alisaie finally asked, breaking Ana from her self deprecating thoughts, turning the Warriors attention on herself instead. She turned to look at the younger woman and finally got a good look at her, she could tell Alisaie had been crying for a long while. Red nose, blotchy cheeks, red eyes. The poor girl…

“It’s not the same for everyone,” Ana started, her words having a mind of their own as she spoke more out of instinct than thought, “For me...I suppose I let my duty propel me forward. I have no other choice but to continue on, because deep inside I know so much more will be lost if I fail to act. If I leave it to others, without my strength, my gift, to fight alone” She didn’t like what she was saying very much. What good was that to her? She didn’t have the same gift, or strength, no god guiding her hand. Just an apparently very insensitive Warrior of Light to follow.

Anastasia scoffed, shaking her head as she chuckled at her own uselessness. When she looked at Alisaie again, confusion clear on her face, she couldn’t help a sad smile. “I don’t,” the girl frowned, and she continued, “I can not deal with any of it. The loss...the responsibility… the Fate of the world.” She shrugged, and looked out into the field before them. “I was just a simple Miqo’te trying to make her way in the world as an adventurer. Looking for a good time, maybe make some friends along the way, meet pretty girls, and hopefully a fair bit of gil.” 

She grinned at that, a sappy one she hadn’t made in a long time as she thought back to before the calamity. Before she had discovered that something far greater than she had bigger plans for her. “Though to be fair, even with fate being so tricksy as that I did manage to meet some cute girls!” Ana tilted her head towards her companion and smiled a little more widely, Alisaie’s face light up with a blush before she lowered her gaze and turned away. 

“I’m trying to have a serious conversation with you, and you’re over here teasing me. Have you any shame?” Alisaie did her best to sound offended, to her credit, but Anastasia could see the twitch of a smile for just a moment before the tears welled up at the corner of her eyes. 

“I do, but you’d need to dig pretty deep to find it.” Anastasia watched her for a moment, thinking about how best to help her. Nothing really came to her, but she knew what she wanted to do. “Stay still…” she said, her tone no longer light and cheery. 

Alisaie either didn’t hear, or made no motion to acknowledge what was said and, after a few seconds, found herself in the warm, gentle embrace of the Warrior of Darkness. Anastasia carefully wrapped her arms around the smaller woman’s shoulders, burying her face in the slope of her neck. The girl seemed to panic for a moment as the person she’d admired for so long was suddenly so very extremely close, however she stilled when she heard the shaky breath taken so close to her ear.

“I am so sorry I didn’t get here fast enough… I promise, I’ll do everything in my power to make things right and help bring this tragedy to an end.” 

There was a moment of silence as Alisaie took the words to heart, feeling herself calming the longer she was in Ana’s arms. Eventually she scoffed, reaching up to touch the side of the Warrior’s head, “I thought you were supposed to be comforting me? Not the other way around.” she said, a smile cracking her lips as she buried herself in her hair. 

Anastasia couldn’t help but laugh, “I was! What do you think this is?! Comfoooort!” she cried out, feigning offense as she rubbed her cheek against Alisaie, who’s sorrow had cracked enough to let her cry out in laughter. Rocking the two of them back and forth, with Alisaie still hanging over the edge.

“If I fall I swear! You will NEVER hear the end of it!”

“You’ll be fiiiiiine! I’ll catch you!”

“You can’t catch me if you’re up here!”

Their laughter eventually rivaled even the party going on within the city. And Alisaie was reminded of why she would love the Warrior, and follow her through anything no matter how hard things got.


	2. Darkest Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vaulthry has passed his judgment on the Crystarium and the people of Lakeland. With the battle behind them, Anastasia is forced to come to terms with her short comings and realize that sometimes her strength alone isn't enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the support on the last piece. Time for the next part of this series of one-shots!

The attack from Vauthry had been mostly anticipated. A man so proud as he would hardly let the Scions get away with what they had so far without some form of retribution. The swiftness in which it occurred on the other hand….

Anastasia and the other Scions had reacted quickly, rallying with the people of the Crystarium to ward off the Sin Eaters and eventually succeeding to do so. The price was far too large for Anastasia however, and she now stood at the edge of the Ostall Imperative as the storm which had threatened the area with rain finally opened up. 

She tightened her grip on her sword which was planted in the ground beside her as she felt an all too familiar presence behind her, “What do you want…” she growled under her breath her ears pinned back as the pain and anger she felt flared up in her chest. 

“Oh? Is that any way for the light hearted and happy ‘Warrior of Light’ to talk to someone?” She hated how much they sounded like her, it ground her nerves and she clenched her jaw to prevent from snapping. Anastasia turned her head slightly to look at them properly, the darkest part of herself since she had taken on the mantle of a Dark Knight those few years ago. They matched in appearance for the most part….if you ignored the sickly paleness of her reflections skin, the dark veins which seemed to pop out in contrast, the reddish yellow tint to her eyes.

“I care not for your game, Fray. What do you want.” Anastasia said, and she could feel herself slipping, something inside her felt as if it wanted to break out, scratching at the inner walls of her soul, testing for weakness. It hurt. Almost as much as failing to save all those people.

It was then that she noticed Fray’s normal condescending grin had faded, and she looked on at Anastasia with some semblance of sympathy, “Are you ok?”, the words came out as but a whisper, soft and barely heard above the pouring rain.

“What do you care? The weaker I get the easier it becomes to take control, right?”

“I told you when you bested me in Whitebrim that I would take over should you falter, but only if you asked,” Fray stepped forward, her face becoming gentle despite the almost corpse-like appearance, “Have you told them what you’re feeling?”

The Warrior of Light’s eyes went wide for a moment before she lowered her head and clenched her fist over the breast of her armor, bracing against another wave of soul crushing pain. Fray sighed then, the sound of metal clanking against metal as she crossed her arms, “You’re such a fool...What is the point in embracing the Light and making all these friends if you refuse to rely on them?”

The storm had truly begun to pick up now, and Anastasia couldn’t help but shiver as a chill ran through her. In the distance she could still hear the cries of some of the soldiers who had lived, but had not made it way unscathed, either physically or mentally. She bit her lip as tears welled in her eyes, there was so much pain.

“Do you yield?” Fray asked, taking another step forward, now standing face to face with Anastasia who had all but begun holding her breath in anticipation of this line of questioning, “Do you give up?”

There were several moments of silence as Anastasia repeated the question in her mind. So much has happened since Ishgard, in such a relatively short amount of time. In recent months it has been nothing but war, pain, blood, death, and so much loss. Before it was different, she was at least somewhat removed from the battles, fighting on her on seperate fronts accomplishing her own missions for the benefit of the Alliance. Now? Here? On the First? She was the only one standing between them and the scorching oblivion of the Light. 

Anastasia looked up at Fray, tears spilling down her cheeks as she gasped, sucking in air sharply as she opened her mouth to give an answer. The sympathy in Fray’s eyes was surprising, and the freedom she felt there was oh so tempting. She could almost feel the wonderful numbness that would come from diving into the Abyss. 

“Anastasia!” Another familiar voice called from the distance, deeper into the encampment. It was enough to pull her attention, drawing her gaze over Fray’s shoulder. She saw Alisaie then, looking about while also tending to a few of the soldiers which rested under makeshift shelters. The young woman seemed uncharacteristically flustered in the moment, worry pinching her brow, rare for her to be so open with her distress. 

Fray looked back at the girl as well when she noticed Ana had redirected her focus. A small smile twitching the corners of her lips as she looked at Ana and gently took her face in her hands to regain her attention. When the dark blue eyes of the Warrior of Light locked on her own she spoke, “Remember who you are and what you’re fighting for, Weapon of Light. Love is your strength, and it doesn’t always need to be of those you free from the shackles of despair.”

“Ana!” Alisaie called again, this time closer, which pulled the Warriors gaze once more. The presence of her darkside seemed to dissipate and suddenly she felt so much weaker, falling to her knees. She winced and put on a grin when she heard Alisaie cry out in worry. “I’m ok! I’m fine! Just a little tired is all!” she lied, instinctively.

However, as the younger woman ran up to her, it was apparent that she did not believe a word. She knelt down, looking Ana straight in the eye. In that moment she felt she could spill every ounce of pain and regret, every drop of truth, and she almost did. Clamping her mouth shut, she swallowed the lump in her throat, briefly wondering if the rain would hide the redness of her eyes she knew accompanied the tenderness caused by her tears.

How would she possibly find the courage to tell her the truth? Staring into her eyes for what felt like an eternity, she decided she needed to take a chance. She may not have many more of those...

“Alisaie...I…” She stammered, lowering her head as the tears started anew. 

“What is it, Ana? Where are you hurt? I may not be much of a healer but I’m sure I could…” She was fretting even more now, checking every spot she could from their kneeling position for holes in the dark plate armor. She didn’t stop until Anastasia took hold of her hands and pulled them down, meeting her eyes once more.

The look of sadness and sympathy that Alisaie gave her in return told her that her sorrow had truly come to the surface. With a deep, stuttering breath, Ana finally let someone in.

“I think...the Light is killing me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fray is a punk, but she really does care for the WoL.


End file.
